Posts Tagged ‘church bombing’

 

For Sri Lanka, On a Day of Blood and Prayer

Posted on: April 21st, 2019 by Alden

A prayer on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, as the news unfolds. More than 150 people were murdered and 500 injured in a coordinated attack on three churches and three five-star hotels.

For Sri Lanka, On a Day of Blood and Prayer
How can it be,
That day of prayer,
A day of reverence and love,
A day of worship and communion,
At the hand of killers,
Can become a day of blood?

How can it be,
That a day heralding the message
Of peace on earth
And forgiveness for all,
At the hand of murderers,
Can become a day of wailing in the streets?

Author of life,
Man has turned vicious and cruel,
Cutting down innocents in Sri Lanka
With violence and hate,
On a day of holiness and faith.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Sri Lanka,
At churches, hotels and in the streets,
At Anthony’s, St. Sebastian’s and Zion,
At Shangri-La, Kingsbury, and Cinnamon Grand.
Their lives were cut off by cruelty and hate.
Their dreams were cut off by heartless brutality.

G-d of Mercy,
Grant healing of body and spirit to the survivors,
The wounded, the maimed,
The dazed, the shocked and the traumatized.
Give them and their families strength and courage
As the hours, the days and the years pass.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to violence,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.
Grant the people of Sri Lanka Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

© 2019 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.
Share the prayer! Email this to a friend.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Courtesy of St. Sebastian’s Church as seen on Times of Israel

“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020

“Mesmerizing, spiritual, provocative, and thoughtful, Alden was everything you would want in a guest scholar and teacher.” – Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles, and Past President, CCAR

"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023

“Alden left everyone feeling inspired.” – Cantor Jeri Robins, Shabbat Chair, NewCAJE6